As many folks know by now, this is a very special year for the Manchester City Library! We’re 100! So special, a year it is, in fact, that the Manchester City Library has become a travel destination! We have recently learned that the very famous Travelocity Roaming Gnome made a brief visit to the library and when he came, he brought with him a traveling companion, his distant cousin twice removed, Tracker the Magnificent.

The Roaming Gnome and Tracker were here on the 24th of June to help kick off the annual children’s Summer Reading Program, Dig Into Reading. As you might recall, gnomes love to dig under trees to make their homes in burrows under the trees.

Our gnome tourists had a tremendous amount of fun frolicking in the library gardens, the library stacks, and the library director’s office. They even played a few practical jokes on some members of the Information and Technology Team. Amidst all this fun, the Roaming Gnome was suddenly called away on very urgent secret gnome business and he left his cousin behind in order for Tracker to continue his happy vacation.

Sadly, we have found out that Tracker is much shyer than his famous Roaming Gnome cousin. He keeps hiding on us and we are having quite a problem trying to keep track of him! Either that, or he really likes to play hide-and-seek with us! So, children of Manchester, we need you help in keeping track of Tracker!

When you visit the library please take a few minutes to search around the library for our missing gnome friend. He could be anywhere in the library-and this is a very big library building! He tends to like hiding places where he can see a lot of people. When you locate him, do not approach him, as he might become scared. Just write down where you have spotted him on a piece of paper and discreetly give it to a staff member in the children’s room. When you do this you will be entered into a raffle to win a movie ticket!

We hope you will help us this summer in keeping track of our little gnome friend, whom we’ve grown to love dearly!